Preventive Dental Care and Long-Term Dental Outcomes among ALL Kids Enrollees.

Abstract

To investigate whether early or regular preventive dental visit (PDV) reduces restorative or emergency dental care and costs for low-income children. Enrollees during 1998-2012 in the Alabama CHIP program, ALL Kids. Retrospective cohort study using claims data for children continuously enrolled in ALL Kids for at least 4years. Analyses are conducted separately for children 0-4years, 4-9years, and >9years. For 0-4years, the intervention of interest is whether they have at least one PDV before age 3. For the other two age groups, interventions of interest are if they have regular PDVs during each of the first 3years, and if they have claims for a sealant in the first 3years. Outcomes-namely restorative and emergency dental service and costs-are measured in the fourth year. To account for selection into PDV, a high-dimensional propensity scores approach is utilized. Claims data were obtained from ALL Kids. Only sealants are associated with a reduced likelihood of using restorative and emergency services and costs. Whether PDVs without sealants actually reduce restorative/emergency pediatric dental services is questionable. Further research into benefits of PDV is needed.